Christmas 2012
by BreathlessFaith
Summary: Penny has moved to New York City to further her career. Sheldon comes to see her for the first time in two years. Pretty much a fluff story. This is strictly Penny and Sheldon. Any of the other characters are just mentioned in passing. It's fanfiction just enjoy it! Happy New Year.


A/N: I wanted to give this to you before Christmas. That didn't happen. I hope you enjoy this in the spirit it's given.  
I've enjoyed so many Shenny stories here. I felt I should give you one back. It's certainly not as wonderful as some  
I've read. I think it's a passable first time effort. I do however have a couple of things to say first. I do not own any  
part of TBBT. That belongs to others. In saying that, no one in anyway should expect this story to be in character.  
I am not an original writer therefore for you to expect to get an in character story is an expectation that will not  
come true for you. You want an original in the character story watch the show. Don't read something called fanfiction.  
My betta reader is on vacation. You'll just have to live with any punctuation, spelling errors you see. Honestly, your  
more likely to find punctuation errors then spelling. About the only thing you need to know is Penny moved  
to N.Y.C. to further her acting career. Sheldon hasn't seen her in two years.

I hope everyone has a healthy and Happy New Year!

Christmas 2012

Just as Sheldon stepped up to the checkout line, the woman ahead of him dropped a couple of cd's from her loaded down arms.

The gentleman that he is, he swooped down and picked them up for her. Standing back up he found himself looking into the set of bright green eyes that invade his REM cycle every night.

"Penny!"...Sheldon is surprised. A Best Buy store is not the place where, he had expected to finally see her again.

"Sheldon!"

"Ma'am you checking out?" Penny turned her head to see the teenage cashier raise her eyebrows at  
her.

"Oh yes. I'm sorry." Penny opened her arms and let everything in them fall on to the conveyor belt.  
"Just put them down please Sheldon."

Sheldon gently placed the 3 cd's he'd picked up for her on the conveyor.

"Your total is $59.17, Ma'am."

Penny slid her credit card through the machine, told it no she didn't need any cash back, and  
signed. The cashier had put Penny's items into two holiday bags, handed them to her and told  
her to have a Merry Christmas and please come again.

The she moved on to Sheldon who passed her, the flash drive he had in his hand.

"Your total is $33.48 sir. Cash or charge?"

Sheldon paid the cashier and turned to leave. He was taken aback to see Penny, holiday bags  
hanging off her arms, a knit cap with a Red Angry Bird on her head, a white and red scarf wound  
around her neck, waiting for him by the exit.

"You waited for me?" Sheldon asks, surprised she hadn't left.

"Oh Moon-pie, I've waited my whole life for you." Penny said as she reached out and tugged on  
his coat sleeve pulling him out the door..."Do you have anywhere you need to be tonight?"

"No." Sheldon said still pondering what she'd meant about waiting her whole life for him. He looked  
down at her..."Penny why do you only have one mitten on?" Before she could answer he'd stopped,  
moving and was reaching to take some of the bags she was carrying from her.

"Oh, I lost the other one somewhere." She said waving her arms around and shrugging at him.

"Honestly. I do believe you would lose your head if it wasn't attached. Here take mine." He said pulling  
his glove off his left hand.

"No Moon-pie. Your hand will get cold then." She pushed the glove back at him.

"Put the glove on Penny. I shall put my hand in my pocket." He moved the bags he'd taken from her  
to his gloved right hand and stuffed his left into the pocket of his blue down jacket.

"Hey that's perfect." Penny said waving her left hand at him.

"I think not. It's at least two sizes too big, for even your Nebraskan hands." Sheldon told her,  
as he watched the tips of the gloves, flop back and forth as she waved her hand at him.

Penny scrunched her nose up at him and shook her head, letting out a long sigh..."That's not  
what I mean Moon-pie. This is what I mean." She stepped close to him and slid her right arm  
through his left.

"Now then. Come on, Sheldon. Tonight you're coming home with me." Penny tugged on his  
looped arm and started moving them forward.

Sheldon sighed and let Penny lead him down the streets of New York City to her apartment.  
It wasn't far only a few blocks, that were walked in silence.

Penny led Sheldon into her apartment building and Sheldon just naturally headed for the stairs.

"We can walk up them if you want Moon-pie. But no one blew up the elevator in this building.  
Wanna ride?" She asked batting her big green eyes at him, with a grin.

"Very well. I just hope it has regular maintenance done on it." Sheldon, lets Penny pull him  
into the elevator.

"Are you going to press the button for your floor?" Sheldon asks as the elevator doors close.

"Yup. Just as soon as you close your eyes. I want to surprise you." Penny says, raising her  
eyebrows at him.

"Really Penny is this necessary?" Sheldon asks exasperated with her.

"Now Dr. Cooper, can't you cooperate just this once?" Sheldon isn't sure why, but when she  
calls him Dr. Cooper, he finds he'll do most anything she wants.

Soon as his eyes were closed, Penny pushed the button for her floor. Sheldon felt the elevator  
come to a halt and was about to open his eyes when..."Don't you dare open those baby blues.  
We haven't reached my surprise yet."

"How do you expect me to follow you with my eyes closed?" Sheldon asked.

"Jez Sheldon. I'm going to guide you. I promise I won't let you trip or fall. It's only a few  
feet ahead of us anyway. Now let's get a move on." Penny took him by the elbow and  
led him a few feet out of the elevator.

"Now stand right here. Don't open your eyes until I tell you too. I see that twitch Sheldon,  
don't you dare ruin this for me!" Penny dug around in her purse and finally pulled out  
her phone. She stood still for a moment. Lining up the camera on her phone. She wanted  
to get a perfect shot of Sheldon's face when he opened his eyes.

"Open up those baby blues, Dr. Cooper." Penny said excitedly. She got two perfect pictures.  
The first of surprise that the number of her apartment was 4A. The second was a brief  
smile that showed how pleased he was by it.

Turning to look sternly at her Sheldon said..."I suppose you feel this is some kind of psychic,lining  
up of the stars and planets, divine providence, hokum you believe in?"

"Yes and don't you dare try to ruin it for me!" She growled at him trying to put a snarl on  
her face.

Apparently that didn't work so well as Sheldon just rolled his eyes at her. Penny pulled her  
keys out of her pocket and unlocked the door.

"This way Dr. Cooper." She said leading the way into her apartment.

They had barely gotten into the living room when Sheldon let out a screech. Promptly dropping  
the bags he'd been holding. He reached down and grabbed whatever it was attacking his leg  
by the scruff of it's neck.

"What abomination is this?" He snapped. Turning to looking at Penny as the striped bundled of  
fur spat and swatted at the air.

"Sheldon you can't hold Godzilla out like that! He's just a kitten. He's delicate!" Penny scolded  
him. Dropping her own packages onto the coffee table. She reached out and took the  
disgruntled kitten from his outstretched hand.

"Delicate? Are you insane woman! That furred monster has probably put dozens of scratch  
marks in my leg. God only knows what kind of bacteria are infesting my bloodstream as  
we speak! Where is the nearest ER?"...he bellowed at her.

Penny rubbed her nose against the furry little face, placed a kiss atop it's head, then set  
it back down on the floor. Godzilla immediately, sped off for a multi-tiered cat tree.  
Reaching the top, it sat there glowering at Sheldon.

The next thing Sheldon knew Penny had pulled the blue and red knit hat off his head.  
With more sped then Sheldon would have credited her with, his matching scarf was  
unwound from his neck. Both were tossed to his utter dismay at the couch. Then  
the one mitten and one glove she was wearing flew off her hands to land on the couch.

"Penny!" It was all he got out before she jerked the one glove he wore off and it  
too was thrown at the couch.

"Penny!" he wailed loudly. The next thing he knew, she was unzipping the blue down  
jacket. She spun him around and pulled it off of him. By the time he turned back  
to face her, her own jacket was on the pile of outer wear. The crowning glory of the  
pile was her Red Angry Birds hat.

"Come here." She commanded snagging his hand. Penny pulled him over to a recliner  
and pushed him down into it.

Sheldon let out a woosh of air. Before he knew it she was pulling up his pant leg.

"Hey Sheldon! Did you know you have blue jeans on?" Penny asked, looking up at  
him from where she was now kneeling on the floor in front of him.

"Of course I know. How else would they have gotten on me if I hadn't pulled them on?"  
Before he could continue, Penny was shoving his right pant leg up to his knee.

Her hands started running up and down his calf. Then she was turning it right and then  
left.

"Woman what in blazes do you think you're doing?" he shouted at her.

"Sheldon, you said you needed to go to a hospital, because Godzilla clawed you." Looking  
down at his leg again. Penny slowly ran her hand up and down his calf again..."I'm looking  
for claw marks. I don't see any though."

Penny looked back up at him again..."He didn't happen to claw you up on your thigh did he?"  
Biting the inside of her cheek to keep from smirking at him.

"No. I got hold of him before he could climb up me, any higher. Why?" he asked looking at  
her suspiciously.

"Well if he had, you would have had to drop your jeans so I could check out any damage  
to your thigh?" She tried to tell him solemnly, but a small giggle escaped her.

"Take your hands off me woman!" Sheldon snarled. Slapping her hands away from him  
and pulling his pant leg back into place.

Penny stood back up and sighed..."You go through that door. You'll find the bathroom.  
I'm sure you want to clean up. I'm going to start dinner."

"Penny! I don't believe, I said I was staying for dinner." Sheldon stood up, ready to grab  
his jacket.

"Dr. Cooper, have you suddenly stopped liking Spaghetti with little pieces of hot dog  
cut up into the sauce?" Penny watched Sheldon try to stop the smile that was about  
to grace his lips, with her announcement of what she was cooking.

"Bathroom facilities are through that door you said?" Even as he turned away from  
her.

Before he could give it more consideration he heard a hiss. The kitten had stayed atop  
it's perch. It was making it perfectly clear, he was not happy with Sheldon's presence.

Sheldon shook his head and walked the short distance to what he assumed was the  
bathroom. He opened the door and stepped into what turned out to be Penny's bedroom.

As in most bedrooms the main object is the bed. Penny's is a queen size bed. The bed itself  
didn't surprise Sheldon. The bedspread did. Hesitantly he reached out to touch the red velour  
bedspread. In the center was the white circle with the yellow lightning bolt coursing through  
the middle.

Touching the velour seemed to send a lightning bolt to his brain. He had a sudden image of  
Penny underneath him, in the middle of the bed.

Sheldon jerked his hand away as if he'd been scalded. He rushed into the bathroom with  
the only thought he needed a cold shower. Sheldon flung back the shower curtain and  
was brought to a sudden halt. He stood there staring down at ten whimsical ducks with  
umbrellas covering the bottom of the bathtub.

"Oh Penny." Sheldon sighed. He carefully pulled the shower curtain closed and stepped  
over to the sink. There was another surprise for him. Not only were the sink and counter  
top spotless, his favorite hand cleanser, seemed to just be waiting for him. When he looked  
over to the left, there sat Penny's toothbrush under a UV light.

It was almost as if Penny knew he was coming. Sheldon thought as he washed  
his hands. But she couldn't know. He hadn't told anyone he was coming to New York  
City. Not even his mother. He only planned to be here for 5 days at the most. He'd  
already lost two of those.

Sheldon stepped back into the bedroom. He let his gaze sweep the room. Not a thing  
out of place, with the exception of her devil kitten.

Who was now curled into a little ball of beastly fur, in the middle of the Flash symbol.  
He shook his head and backed out of the bedroom. Just in case the little beast was faking  
sleep, to spring a surprise attack on him.

"Sheldon could you please set the table for us, while I drain the pasta?" Penny called to him.

"Certainly. Just point me to the appropriate cupboards." Sheldon replied stepping into the small  
kitchen area.

"The one over the sink has the glasses. There is Lemonade, Mountain Dew, and Ice Tea in the  
fridge. I'll have whatever you are going to drink. The cupboard to the left has the plates and the  
silverware is in the drawer underneath." Penny said smiling softly at him over her shoulder.

"This is why I came here." Sheldon thought to himself. This familiarity. This sense of calm.  
He's never found it anywhere else but with Penny. He's about to change not only his life but  
the way the world thinks. When he'd first made his discovery, he'd picked up his phone to  
call and tell her. It hadn't even been something he thought about. Not until he'd had his finger  
on the number 1 on his phone. She'd come here to make her acting dream come true. She  
finally had. This show was over. He'd waited until he knew she would be free, before he  
made the trek across the country.

Seeing her with her co-star had brought his insecurities out in full force. Sheldon Cooper was  
insecure about very few things. Penny however was at the head of the list. Divine providence  
his mother would tell him. Sheldon gave thought to agreeing with that. If he hadn't bumped  
into her tonight he might have left without seeing her.

When he pulled her chair out, she smiled softly at his gesture. Sheldon decided in that moment,  
Penny would not be the only thing in this world that he wanted, that he did not go after.

They made small chit chat while they ate. Speaking of their old friends, what they were  
doing now. Both said it was amazing the changes a couple of years could make. Sheldon  
helped her load the dishwasher, even when she insisted it wasn't necessary.

Dishwasher running, Penny grabs his hand and pulls him into the small living room. She pushes  
him down onto the sofa and plops down next to him. Then she pulls one leg up underneath her,  
turning so she can face him now. Propping her arm on the back of the sofa, Penny rests her chin  
in her palm.

"Enough of the banal chit chat Moonpie. Tell me about you. What has that beautiful mind been  
up to? Why are you here in New York City? I wish you'd come a couple of days earlier. My  
show just ended. I would have loved to have you watch me. It would have been the first time  
you would have seen me doing something I love. Like I watched you write out those formulas  
on your white boards." The smile she finishes with, doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"I was here. I saw you. If I may say, you have blossomed into a truly wonderful actress. I loved  
every moment you were on that stage." Before he could say more, Penny sat up straight and  
grabbed him by the front of his shirt pulling him until they were almost nose to nose.

"Sheldon Lee Cooper! You better start explaining right now! Why you didn't come back stage  
and see me! How could you, watch me perform and then just walk away?" If the tear hadn't  
run down her cheek, Sheldon might have said Penny was scolding him.

"I waited outside the back door. I was going to speak to you. Well...I...I didn't want to  
interrupt your evening with your co-star." Sheldon told her shyly.

"If we hadn't met at the store tonight? You would have just left without ever seeing me  
wouldn't you have?" Penny asked sadly.

"No. I just needed some time to rebuild my confidence back up. Let go of me. I have  
something I want to give you." Penny let go of Sheldon and watched as he went over  
to his blue jacket. She had to focus on what he said. He need to build his confidence  
up. She would never have thought Sheldon would be unsure about coming to see her.  
Maybe just maybe she would get her Christmas wish after all.

Sheldon came back and sat down..."Here." Sheldon held out an envelope to her.

Penny looked at the envelope and then back at Sheldon..."Go ahead look at it."

Penny slowly opened the envelope and looked inside..."Oh my God! Sheldon this is  
a ticket to Stockholm! This flight is in two days!"

"Actually the flight is in 36 hours and 24 minutes. We'll be flying first class. I thought  
you would enjoy that, even if it isn't the safest place to sit on a plane. I have a suite  
reserved for us and one for my mother, Meemaw and Missy. They will..."

Penny once more grabbed the front of Sheldon's shirt and jerked him forward until  
they were almost nose to nose again..."Sheldon Cooper are you telling me you finally  
figured out your string theory? Have you finally won your Nobel Prize?"

"Yes of..." Sheldon couldn't say any more, because Penny's lips were now firmly  
attached to his. Sheldon couldn't tell you how long they'd stayed like that. It was  
long enough for Penny to straddle his lap. Long enough for him to have wrapped  
his arms around her.

Pulling away from her Sheldon said..."Penny would you please remove yourself  
from my person. There are some other things we must discuss."

"No."

"No?"

"No, Sheldon I will not remove my person from your person. It took me too damn  
long to get here. If you think I'm giving up my spot now, I'll just have to get you  
tested myself." Penny informed him. To prove she meant it, she kissed him again.

"Oh, how long will we be gone? Can we take Godzilla with us?" Penny asked.

"We will be gone 10 days. I'm sure I can find a perfectly acceptable boarding cattery  
for that spawn of Satan you have. He's too young to make such a journey." Sheldon  
informed her. At her crestfallen look..."Penny, I promise you, he will have the best  
of care. I will even arrange for you to Skype him, every day. He really is too young.  
With accepting the Nobel Prize, the wedding, my family, your family, well you wont  
have time to give him the care he'd need."

"Wedding? What wedding?" Penny asked.

"Our wedding of course. Sweden would be a wonderful place for a wedding. They  
have a marvelous rail system we can use for our honeymoon."

"Sheldon don't you think you should ask me first, before you go planning everything?"  
Penny asked staring into his big blue eyes.

"No."

"No?"

"No. The probability of you refusing me is too high. After consulting your father, he  
assured me that sometimes, it's just better to tell you, you are doing something then  
to give you an option of refusal." Sheldon said wondering if, their progeny will have  
her intense green eyes.

"Wait! You figured out the probability of my turning you down?"

"Of course I did."

"Who the hell does that Sheldon?"

"Well I do of course. You know how I hate not to get my own way." He said, like her  
question was the most foolish thing he'd been asked in months.

"My father told you, to just tell me we are getting married?" Penny questioned him.

"I just told you that. Is your hearing becoming defective? Not that it would matter  
to me. Well get it tested in Sweden."

"You've never met my father. How could you talk to him?" She asked still in shock at  
everything Sheldon has told her.

"Penny of course I've met him. Also your mother and sister. Your brother however is in  
a rehabilitation center. Naturally I didn't met him. While you may have come from  
Nebraska and feel a kinship to it. We will never live there. I will however consed to living  
here in New York City. You will want to continue your acting. Broadway seems to be  
the best place for you to do it. Really is there any University that wouldn't be thrilled  
to have me as an alumnus?" Looking at her, Sheldon took his forefinger, placed it under  
her chin, and pushed up, closing her gaping mouth.

His touch seemed to kick start her brain back into gear.

"You do realize when we get married, you will have to make love to me. We aren't having  
coitus or sex. You did account for that in all your planning didn't you?" Penny sucked in  
her bottom lip worrying it as she waited for his answer.

It was a night of surprises for her. Sheldon's right hand came up to cup her cheek. He ran  
his thumb against her mouth, until she released her lower lip with moan at his strokes.

"I believe that answers your question." He gave her a very un-Sheldon smirk. Sheldon let  
his hand slide to the back of her neck. Giving her a gentle tug, his other arm came around  
her waist pulling her back onto his lap.

Penny gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Would having two little girls with blonde hair and big green eyes meet with your  
approval Mrs. Cooper?" Sheldon whispered in her ear before he ghosted his lips down  
her throat.

"I would prefer two little boys with big blue eyes. I'm not Mrs. Cooper." Penny moaned.

"How about one girl and one boy. You will be Mrs. Cooper in 72 hours and 14 minutes. You  
should become accustomed to the salutation now." This time Sheldon moaned as Penny  
ran her lips down his throat.

2012 was the year that Sheldon Cooper truly learned the meaning of Christmas.

THE END


End file.
